Page 4 of Furious Protector (Ruthless Guardians #4)

Jules

T he minute I finish my drink, Mason and Beckett return from outside. “Did you see anything?” Patti asks, having finished her drink some time ago.

“Enough to know that you two aren’t going home alone tonight.” Beckett looks to me. “You live in town, right?”

I nod, finding it hard not to get lost in those deep green eyes. “I do. I have a small A- frame just a few blocks away.”

He’s all business right now and looks at Patti. “And where do you live?”

Her eyes widen in surprise. “Umm, a little way out of town, but not that far, about a mile and a half.”

“I’m going to take you both home. I’d like for you to stay with Jules tonight,” he says.

Patti and I both give him narrowed eyes. “Ladies, it’s for your own good, or I wouldn’t ask. We’ll make sure you’re safe, but it’s better if we keep you together. Especially if it’s out of town, no matter that it’s not that far.”

The looks on the men’s faces are grim. They keep their concerns to themselves. But I’ve seen those looks before. They don’t need to tell me that if they’re going to protect all the families, we’ll have to double up for them to have enough resources to protect us all.

“Does that work for you ladies?” Beckett asks, no doubt wanting confirmation so he can finalize the plan with the rest of the guys.

“It does, and thank you.” I turn to Lettie cleaning up behind the bar. “Why don’t you come home with us? We’ll bring a little of Kenny’s booze and have a sleepover.”

Lacy lays her face on the bar and looks at us from three seats away. “Am I invited?”

I stick out my tongue. “You’re married!” It doesn’t faze her a bit. “That doesn’t mean I can’t still have fun. Besides, Garrett and the guys aren’t going to mind having us all in the same place. Probably easier to guard. We can all stay there.”

She’s not wrong and Patti gives me a little nod.

“Sure, it sounds better than hanging out by ourselves.” My mind races back to the way I left the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Nothing too terribly out of place, just a little lived in.

The arrangements will have to do. We’ll make it work, just like in our younger days.

Krissy sighs. “The kids are already sleeping. I really don’t want to scare them.

Eileen and Kenny can come over to our house if you don’t want us to be alone.

Then you guys will only have two places to watch, and they can stay asleep in the comfort of their beds.

” She looks to Kenny who’s joined in on the conversation.

He nods in agreement. “Sounds like a good plan. I’ll call Eileen. I’m sure it won’t be a problem for her to pack an overnight bag. I’ll head that way and pick her up. I don’t want her driving over alone.”

Cole puts a protective arm around his wife. “Why don’t we all go together, stop by your house Kenny, pick up your stuff, Eileen, and head for our house. Sound good, baby?” he asks, looking down into the eyes of a woman who clearly adores her man and has become a good friend to me.

Krissy gives him a reassuring smile. “It sounds really good.” I don’t blame her, not one little bit. If I had babies at home, I would be a nervous wreck, but she’s doing a damn good job of keeping her cool under pressure. She’s had to be with all that she’s been through over the years.

The thought of her past puts things in perspective for me. Or maybe it’s the alcohol of two margaritas streaming through my veins. Maybe it’s both, but either way, I can deal with this. I can handle whatever those fuckers bring. There is strength in numbers, and we’ve got that.

The minute we hit the cooler air and the darkness, my bravado cools a bit. These men could literally be lurking anywhere. We’re fortunate to have the protection that we do.

We head out together and the men gesture to stay on the sidewalk as we walk around the building to get to the vehicles.

Less than one more week until the new parking area is finished.

It can’t come soon enough for me, but at the same time, the whole expansion is what’s drawing the Eldridge boys back into town.

“I’ll give you a call when we get everyone safely at the house,” Cole says as Beckett holds the door of a big F150 truck open and then unlocks the back passenger door too.

Patti grins. “You can ride shotgun, Jules. You know, since you two can’t seem to keep your eyes off each other.”

“Not true,” I whisper hiss, my cheeks heating with embarrassment as I step up onto the running boards.

Beckett holds my arm as I balance myself.

I manage to pull myself into the high seat of the truck with some modicum of decorum, while he helps Patti gets into the back before closing the doors and heading to the driver’s side.

I turn to Patti before he gets to the door. “What the hell was that? Some kind of friend you are! Zip it!”

She laughs, pulls out a compact, dabs a little powder on her face, and then playfully puffs the tip of the sponge on my nose. “There, takes the shine away. Gotta look good for Mr. Hunky Protector. I saw you giving him the eye.”

“You have had way too much to drink. That’s ridiculous. I was not looking at him like that, at all, thank you very much.”

Beckett opens the door, gets in, and shuts the door and then buckles his seat belt. “Ladies, get your belts on.”

I shouldn’t have had that second drink on an empty stomach. I know better than that. Still, I don’t need a boss, especially the smirking kind who I know damn well heard her little comment. “You’re so bossy! And I was not giving you the eye, whatever that means.”

I am not attracted to the handsome, out of town bodyguard, who will be here for a brief moment in life and then back to the city as soon as the enemies clear out. I am not attracted to those muscles, or that smile or those eyes, or that butt…

Beckett turns to Patti. “Jules gives off some pretty mixed signals. See, I thought she was giving me the eye, too.”

My head hits the back of the seat, and I scrunch my eyes tight. Oh good lord. I’m gonna die of embarrassment.

Patti laughs softly in the back. One day, I swear.

Paybacks are hell. The shoes will be reversed.

I buckle my seat belt, still slightly mortified, my head swimming in a not so little buzz, woefully regretting not eating a thing today.

“Alright you two. Enough fun and games,” I tell them feeling the effects of alcohol flush my skin.

Beckett pulls out onto the main street. I glance over at him, and he’s still wearing that sexy little smirk. But when I turn to Patti, she quickly puts her smile away and gives me a set of wide eyes, glassy with a couple drinks and a whole lot of mischief.

My head spins just from turning in my seat and my stomach slightly rolls as we hit a bump.

“Take Main Street to the light, turn right, and then a quick left. It’s not far,” I tell him groggily, laying my head against the coolness of the window’s glass to stop the waves of nausea that threaten to ensue.